The final stretch

Area stores were busy Saturday with last minute shoppers racing to finish their Christmas shopping.

AMBERLY POZZI Daily News Staff

Area stores were busy Saturday with last minute shoppers racing to finish their Christmas shopping this weekend.

“It’s going to be a zoo,” said Anastasia Paszkiewicz, marketing director of Jacksonville Mall, of the crowds expected at Jacksonville Mall leading up to Christmas Day.

“This year we had a whole extra weekend compared to last year, thanks to the leap year,” she said. “With Christmas on a Tuesday, people are going to remember that they’re running out of time and be shopping down to the wire.”

With extended hours today, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Jacksonville Mall hopes to help accommodate those rushing out to get those last minute gifts.

“We plan all year for this,” said Paszkiewicz. “We expect a lot of our traffic to come in Sunday and we hope people will be pleasantly surprised by our extended hours.”

Even with extended hours on Sunday, Paszkiewicz says that they expect to be busy up until closing on Christmas Eve.

“A lot of our male shoppers come out at the last minute on Christmas Eve,” she said jokingly. “The typical last minute male shoppers will be here picking up their gifts and then they form a long line to have them wrapped by the American Red Cross.”

The Onslow County chapter of the American Red Cross will be wrapping gifts in front of the Barnes and Noble in Jacksonville Mall from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Christmas Eve.

To have your gift wrapped by the American Red Cross volunteers, simply make a donation to the organization. All donations made will stay in Onslow County, helping those in need locally.

Amber Whitehead, store manager of Peebles, said that the store has been steady throughout the holiday season.

“It’s been pretty crazy,” she said. “We’re pretty much steady until we close, and we have plenty of people coming in to get last minute gifts.”

Whitehead said that they get a little bit of every type of shopper in the last few days before Christmas, those who are finishing up their shopping and those who have just started.

“Everything in the store is pretty much on sale,” said Whitehead. “People love our deals on perfumes.”

Whitehead’s biggest suggestion to shoppers finishing out their gift buying is to ask for gift receipts.

“We automatically print out gift receipts for our customers here,” she said. “But make sure you ask for them with every purchase. They’re a life saver.”

Mary Gaskins was out picking up her very last present Saturday morning at Peebles.

“It’s been very busy in here,” she said. “Everyone has been very friendly. Today will be the last day of shopping for me.”

Having been in the area for 25 years, Mary Seymour, said that the last minute shopping crowds are about the same.

“The traffic is still unbelievable, but the rush is expected,” she said.

Seymour was wrapping up her shopping Saturday morning in Peebles.

“This is the last day of shopping for me,” Seymour said, as she was out picking up a few last minute gifts for her daughter.

For shoppers Gloria Williams and Devlyn Carpenter, they’re shopping came to a close Saturday.

“We’re just out picking up items we placed on layaway and a few little things,” said Williams, as she and Carpenter left Peebles with many full shopping bags.

A bargain shopper herself, Williams advises those going out at the last minute to look for the sales and to go out earlier in the day.

“Don’t wait until the very last minute,” she said. “Try to avoid going out Christmas Eve because there will be nothing left.”